The invention relates to furniture such as a chair or sofa, such furniture pieces being referred to herein generally as seating units, and more particularly, to an improved mechanism for controlling the inclination angle of the back rest to the seat cushion.
Modern recliners exist that allow a user to recline the chair back relative to the seat. These existing recliners use mechanisms to control the inclination angle of the back. These mechanisms are housed internal to the seating and or back unit such that the mechanisms are hidden from view. However, these mechanisms are relatively complex and to some extent impose constraints on the furniture manufacture and transportation. Specifically, some of these mechanisms prohibit the disassembly of the back from the base frame, which holds the seat cushion, because the mechanisms extend into, and form a part of, the back. Additionally, these existing recliner mechanisms require a particular cross-beam configuration that is sized for each specific width of seating unit. This precludes manufacturing and assembling uniform components when producing a variety of sizes and styles of seating units.
The present invention pertains to a reclining back mechanism separable from the back rest. Significantly, the mechanism of the invention is constructed so that it is located within the stationary base area of the seating unit, thus enabling disassembly of the back rest from the base frame to facilitate, among other things, shipping and manufacture. Further, the present invention provides for a system of multiple lengths of interchangeable cross beams that allows for the manufacture of a variety of sizes, widths, and styles of recliners.